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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. staff — employees
  3. rock — music
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. staff — a stick
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. present — a gift
  8. pound — a weight
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rest — a break
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. present — the time now
  13. shower — to wash
  14. staff — employees
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rock — a stone
  18. season — in sport
  19. rest — what's left
  20. shower — rain
  21. present — there
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. tear — to rip
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com